How to Save Money: 5 Amazing Tips From New Book Bargain Fever: How to Shop in a Discounted World

At least twice a year, I'll get the hankering to make my pilgrimage an hour upstate to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, where I more or less pillage the Balenciaga outlet, sniff around the Last Call by Neiman Marcus and Barneys, make pit stops at Prada, Dior, Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, and Reed Krakoff, and buy six months' worth of sneakers and workout wear at Under Armour, Nike, and Adidas. Because who doesn't love a bargain?

If you've ever wanted to know the secrets behind saving money—from shopping your favorite department stores to coupon clipping to scoring great deals on airline tickets—you have to check out veteran journalist Mark Ellwood's new book Bargain Fever: How to Shop in a Discounted World, out October 17.

Here are five fascinating things I learned from Bargain Fever—and read on for a special deal if you preorder!

1. How to read extreme-couponing blogs. Did you know that the community of extreme couponers have an online language all their own? Bargain Fever breaks down some of the most popular shortcuts—like Q means coupon, B1G1 means "Buy One, Get One," OYNO means "On Your Next Order," and YMMV means "Your Market May Vary."

2. There is a woman in Texas who sells coupons. Rachael Woodard is the woman behind The Coupon Clippers, an Internet-based coupon store that grosses "more than seven figures a year." Woodard claims that a $3 order will save "at least $30."

Bloomingdale's has a bargain program too. It's restricted to its four flagship cities: Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, and its two stores in New York City. Any visitor browsing racks in those stores can receive an instant 10 percent off at the register. The definition of such a visitor—out of the country, state, town, maybe just someone who walked farther than normal from the parking space—rests entirely on the sales assistant's mood.

4. Watch out for outlet merchandise. According to Ellwood's research, 60 or 70 percent of the merchandise at outlet stores in the United States was "bought specially to be sold at off price." That means that Banana Republic or J.Crew dress you picked up at Woodbury may never have been on a rack in one of their retail stores—it was specially produced and ordered for the outlet only.

5. How to get a discount at Pottery Barn, any day of the week. Just ask for one.

"So a friend of mine, who read an advance copy of the book and was determined to prove me wrong, tested my all-bargain theory at the mall," Ellwood tells Glamour. "Picture a glamorous, well-dressed Southern Belle toting a $50 picture frame to the cash desk in Pottery Barn. Just as she is about to pay, she turns to the salesgirl and says, 'Oh, I am so sorry—I should have asked. Are there any discounts today?' The staffer turns to her manager without missing a beat, turns back and says 'Well, I could give you 15 percent off. Would that work?'"

Make sure to check out Bargain Fever when it hits stores October 17! If you preorder the book before the release date, you'll get a bonus chapter with 100 money-saving tips! Just forward your preorder confirmation email to bonus@mark-ellwood.com to get your free chapter!